The impact of acculturation and poor social support as potential risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic disease amongst Mexican immigrants to the United States (U.S.) is a developing area of research. One theory is that acculturation to U.S. society is negatively associated with health due to the stress of immigration as well as the less healthy diet and lifestyle in the U.S. It is also theorized that positive social support is associated with better health during immigration due to the buffering effect relationships have on stress. Despite these theories, mixed findings have been found regarding the associations between acculturation and social support to health outcomes in this population. Some research has also noted that significant differences exist between the manner in which men and women experience social support and their acculturation patterns. Consequently, the primary purpose of this study was to test the associations between acculturation and health as well as assess gender, social support, and acculturation for potential moderator effects in a sample of Mexican immigrants in Provo, Utah. Acculturation was measured using the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II (ARMSA-II) which consists of the Anglo Orientation Scale (AOS) and Mexican Orientation Scale (MOS). Social support was determined using both the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) and Sarason Social Support Questionnaire (SSSQ) which has two dimensions: satisfaction with support network and size of support network. Hierarchical multiple regression did not find significant associations between acculturation or social support and health outcomes as measured by ambulatory blood pressure or blood draw values including triglycerides, Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). A significant association was observed between Anglo Orientation and social support as measured by the ISEL-II. A moderation effect was observed between gender and Anglo orientation with satisfaction in one's support network. No other moderation effects were observed in this study. Implications of the findings, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-04T12:42:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010 / A hipertensão arterial é um dos mais importantes fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento das complicações cardiovasculares, cerebrovasculares e renais. Embora seja facilmente detectável, o controle dos níveis tensionais constitui um enorme desafio da saúde pública. O objetivo desta tese foi analisar dados longitudinais de uma coorte de pacientes hipertensos resistentes. Em estudos longitudinais, o principal foco de interesse é na mudança ocorrida ao longo do tempo; seja ela avaliada como tempo até o evento ou como medidas repetidas tomadas durante o período de acompanhamento. O presente trabalho foi organizado em três artigos onde foram apresentadas essas duas abordagens. No primeiro artigo, foi realizada uma Análise de Sobrevida, tendo como desfecho eventos cardiovasculares fatais e não fatais, em mulheres hipertensas da coorte. Foi verificado que para atingir o objetivo de diminuir a morbidade e a mortalidade cardiovascular nessa população, as decisões deveriam ser baseadas no controle da pressão devigília obtida na Monitorização Ambulatorial da Pressão Arterial (MAPA) e não no controle dapressão de consultório. No segundo artigo, foram usadas as medidas da pressão arterial (PA) obtidas na MAPA em sua forma resumida usual (médias de PA 24h, vigília e noturna). Ospacientes hipertensos pseudorresistentes apresentaram trajetória ascendente, indicando a necessidade de acompanhamento desses pacientes a intervalos inferiores a um ano. Além disso, não foi observada redução dos valores do índice de massa corporal e da circunferência da cintura nesses pacientes. O terceiro artigo abordou a evolução temporal dos valores do descenso noturnopressórico nos pacientes da coorte, além de estimar as probabilidades brutas de transição entre as categorias do descenso noturno, em MAPAs sucessivas. Apesar de não ultrapassar o limite de normalidade de 10 por cento, houve uma queda acentuada nos valores percentuais do descenso noturnodos pacientes dippers ao longo do tempo. A probabilidade estimada de permanência no estado dipper foi de 52 por cento, enquanto que no estado non dipper esse valor foi de 46 por cento. Nesses dois artigos foram usados Modelos Aditivos Generalizados Mistos, que incorporam efeitos aleatórios, umavez que a variação intra-paciente foi expressiva. A incorporação de métodos estatísticos mais sofisticados faz jus à qualidade e custo de coleta das informações longitudinais. Com base nesses três artigos, concluiu-se que o uso da MAPA é primordial no acompanhamento de pacientes hipertensos resistentes, pois permite detectar as variações ao longo do tempo na evolução clínica. / Hypertension is one of the most important risk facotors for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal diseases. While it is easy to detect, blood pressure control is a major public health challenger. The objective of this thesis was to examine longitudinal data fron a cohort of resistant hypetensive patients. In longitudinal studies, the main focus of interest is on changes over time, either evalueated as time-to -event or as repeated measures taken durin the foloow-up. this thesis was organized in tree articles which presented these two approaches. In the fist article, in the suvival approach, we modeled the time free of fatal and nonfatal cardiovasculr event, in hypertensive women of the cohort. It was found that to achieve the goal of decreasing cardiovasculr morbidity and mortality in this population, decisions should be based on the control of daytime Ambulatory Blood Pressure (ABP) and not on the control of office blood pressure. In the second article, it was used blood pressure (BP) measurementes from ABPM in its usual summary form (mean 24h, daytime ande nighttime). Pseudoresistant hypetensive patients showed an upward trend, indicating th need to monitor them more than once a year. Moreover, there was no reduction in body mass index and waist circunference values in these patientes. the third paper dealt with the evolution of nocturnal blood pressure values in these cohort patients, as well as estimated the crude probabilities of trnsitions between the nocturnal dip categories in sucessive ABPM. Although the limit of normality of 10% was not excessd, a sharp drop in nocturnal dip values was observed on dippers patients oves time. the maindtenance probbiliy in dippes status was estimted in 52% whereas in non dipper status figured in 46%. In these two articles generalized additive mixed models that incorporte random effects were used, since the intr-patient vrition was significant. the incorpotation of moro sophisticated statistical methods is justified by the quality and cost of longitudinal informations. Based on these three articles, it was conclued tht the use of ABPM is essentil in monitoring patients with resistant hypertension, since it allows to detect chnges over time in the clinical outcome.

Fundação de Apoio a Pesquisa e à Inovação Tecnológica do Estado de Sergipe - FAPITEC/SE / Physical exercise acts positively against the related risk factors for systemic arterial hypertension, a chronic and non-communicable disease that affects, approximately, 30% of the world population. Even though there are numerous studies that investigated the physiological responses of the exercise in this population, studying the "dose response" of its fractionation throughout the day becomes necessary, allowing new prescription possibilities. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate ambulatory blood pressure kinetics after a fractionation of concurrent exercise session, as well as the nitric oxide bioavailability in hypertensive middle-aged women. In this way, eleven hypertensive middle-aged women (57.45 ±5.13 years) voluntarily participated of this study and underwent three experimental sessions and one control day (CS). In the morning (MS) and night (NS) sessions, the exercise was fully paid up in the morning and evening, respectively. In fractionized session (FS), it held 50% of the volume in the morning and the remaining 50% on the night shift. It was found that the MS provided greater decay and lower blood pressure reactivity (p<0.05) for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 1h post-exercise, when compared to CS. The MS was also more effective in post-exercise hypotension for SBP than NS and FS, and promoted greater attenuation to pressure reactivity (p<0.05) than the other sessions. By analyzing the ambulatory blood pressure kinetic following the exercise, it was shown that the FS promoted lowest area under the blood pressure curve (p<0.05) for the SBP, DBP and MAP during sleep, as well as greater nitric oxide bioavailability (p<0.05) than the other sessions. In this sense, it is concluded that the FS was more effective in lower BP values at 24 hours following the exercise that other sessions, although this reduction has not been observed acutely, as observed after MS. / O exercício físico pode atuar positivamente contra os agravos correlatos à hipertensão arterial sistêmica, doença crônica e não-transmissível que incide aproximadamente 30% da população mundial. Embora existam evidências suficientes sobre as respostas fisiológicas do exercício físico nesta população, estudar a dose-resposta do seu fracionamento ao longo do dia se faz necessária, permitindo novas possibilidades para a prescrição do exercício físico. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as respostas pressóricas, em até 24h, após o fracionamento de uma sessão de exercício concorrente, bem como a biodisponibilidade do óxido nítrico em mulheres hipertensas. Para tanto, participaram do presente estudo 11 mulheres hipertensas de meia-idade (57,45 ±5,13 anos) submetidas a 3 sessões experimentais e um dia controle (SC). Nas sessões manhã (SM) e noite (SN), o exercício foi realizado integralmente pela manhã e pela noite, respectivamente. Na sessão fracionada (SF), realizou-se 50% do volume pela manhã e os demais 50% no turno da noite. Verificou-se que a SM proporcionou maior decaimento e menor reatividade pressórica (p<0,05) para a pressão arterial sistólica (PAS) e para pressão arterial diastólica (PAD) 1h após o exercício, quando comparada à SC. A SM também foi mais eficiente em promover hipotensão pós-exercício para a PAS que a SN e a SF, além de promover maior atenuação à reatividade pressórica (p<0,05) que as demais sessões. Ao analisar a cinética pressórica nas 24h subsequentes ao exercício, foi evidenciado que a SF promoveu menor área abaixo da curva pressórica (p<0,05) para a PAS, PAD e PAM no período do sono, além de maior biodisponibilidade (p<0,05) do óxido nítrico que as demais sessões. Neste sentido conclui-se que que a SF foi mais eficaz em promover reduções pressóricas nas 24h subsequentes à prática de exercício físico que as demais sessões, ainda que esta redução não tenha sido evidenciada no período de 1h pós-exercício, como observada após a SM.

Yes / This study investigated the relationship of ethnicity to the differences between blood pressure (BP) measured in a clinic setting and by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in individuals with a previous diagnosis of hypertension (HT) and without a previous diagnosis of hypertension (NHT). A cross-sectional comparison of BP measurement was performed in 770 participants (white British (WB, 39%), South Asian (SA, 31%), and African Caribbean (AC, 30%)) in 28 primary care clinics in West Midlands, United Kingdom. Mean differences between daytime ABPM, standardized clinic (mean of 3 occasions), casual clinic (first reading on first occasion), and last routine BP taken at the general practitioner practice were compared in HT and NHT individuals. Daytime systolic and diastolic ABPM readings were similar to standardized clinic BP (systolic: 128 (SE 0.9) vs. 125 (SE 0.9) mm Hg (NHT) and 132 (SE 0.7) vs. 131 (SE 0.7) mm Hg (HT)) and were not associated with ethnicity to a clinically important extent. When BP was taken less carefully, differences emerged: casual clinic readings were higher than ABPM, particularly in the HT group where the systolic differences approached clinical relevance (131 (SE 1.2) vs. 129 (SE 1.0) mm Hg (NHT) and 139 (SE 0.9) vs. 133 (SE 0.7) mm Hg (HT)) and were larger in SA and AC hypertensive individuals (136 (SE 1.5) vs. 133 (SE 1.2) mm Hg (WB), 141 (SE 1.7) vs. 133 (SE 1.4) mm Hg (SA), and 142 (SE 1.6) vs. 134 (SE 1.3) mm Hg (AC); mean differences: 3 (0-7), P = 0.03 and 4 (1-7), P = 0.01, respectively). Differences were also observed for the last practice reading in SA and ACs. BP differences between ethnic groups where BP is carefully measured on multiple occasions are small and unlikely to alter clinical management. When BP is measured casually on a single occasion or in routine care, differences appear that could approach clinical relevance.

Hypertension is a global disease that many effected people in developing countries is not aware of. Hypertension is linked with cardiovascular disease. Prehypertension is not a disease but if not correctly treated, it could develop into hypertension. The aim of the study was to investigate if there are any differences in circadian blood pressure between two study groups, one group with normal blood pressure and one group with prehypertension. This study was a explorative study and its design is based on measurements of blood pressure values and a questionnaire was used to help get the data collection. 51 students volunteered to have their blood pressure taken from them and out of these 51, 24 where selected into two groups of 12 each for the Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. hese 24 students would be a part of our study and an ambulatory (Schiller-102 plus) blood pressure monitor was used to collect the data. The prevalence of prehypertension findings in the clinical testing phase was 37% of the population. There was a variation between the groups during the day (systolic) but there was not a significant difference during the night.